The Palo Alto Foothills Tracking Association is located in the San Francisco peninsula area of California. We are a small but enthusiastic group of people dedicated to the sport of dog tracking. We host several dog tracking events every year under American Kennel Club auspices, as well as sponsoring educational seminars and workshops related to dog tracking.
What is Tracking?
Tracking is a sport in which a dog follows the scent of a person who has walked through the area earlier. The dog must follow the scent trail left by the walking person, and identify an article or articles which the person has dropped along the way. The track is between 30 minutes and two hours old for Tracking Dog (TD) and Tracking Dog Urban (TDU) tests and between three and five hours old for Tracking Dog Excellent (TDX) and Variable Surface Tracking (VST) tests. The dog wears a harness attached to a 20-40′ long line, and the handler must read from the dog’s behavior where the track goes.
Want to get Involved?
Attend a Meeting! Check our our meeting schedule on the Events page. We would love to have you join us to meet our members and learn more about us.
Watch a Tracking Test! Our tracking tests are listed on the Events page. Come and watch, or better still, volunteer to help out
Teach Your Dog To Track! Contact one of the trainers on the Tracking Links page for information about tracking classes in your area.
Join PAFTA! Use this document to apply for membership in PAFTA.
Purchase PAFTA Merchandise
Please use this link to make a purchase from the PAFTA store.
